Final phase of Huey P Long Bridge repair begins

BATON ROUGE - State traffic officials announced the beginning of the final phase of painting and structural steel repairs to the U.S. 190 Mississippi River Bridge on Wednesday morning.

The bridge, officially called the Huey P. Long Bridge, connects Baton Rouge with Port Allen and is commonly called the "old bridge" by locals. The final phase of the work will involve painting, cleaning and repairs to the railroad portion of the bridge and is expected to be completed by late 2016.

An average of 28,000 commuters use the bridge daily, and the the structure continues to be a valuable link between East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes for residents of the Capital City area. First opened in August 1940, the painting and structural steel repairs will extend the life of the bridge, while improving the overall appearance of the structure as revitalization efforts begin in the surrounding areas.